early breakfast

[cyctorres]

What are your recommendations for an early breakfast before entering the parks? I stay in the castel inn

 

[AmberK24]

Tiffy’s family restaurant at Katella & West is great.

 

[avalon451]

Well, Denny's and IHOP are on your way up to the entrance; they're both pretty standard. To be honest, though, I'm a big fan of having groceries in the room and eating something light in the room or on your way to the gates. Cereal, bagels, yogurt, fruit, granola bars, etc. Your hotel has a mini fridge and microwave in each room. Much less expensive and you don't waste precious park touring time sitting in a restaurant.

Sometimes I will book a special breakfast or character meal in the parks later in the morning, after we've already rope dropped and toured for a few hours. This works like a brunch for us and we usually don't need lunch later. I've done Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn at 10:30 a.m. and it's worked well.

Then, too, last time DH and I went, we would get to the gates really early to wait, and I'd send him down to Starbucks in Downtown Disney. I would mobile order from my phone so it would be ready to pick up when he got there.

 

[gottalovepluto]

If you need a coffee fix there is a Starbucks (no redeeming stars or mobile order) at Hyatt House and a Coffee Bean & Tea at Springfield Suites. Both are on the ground floor and have entrances for the general public. They are the opposite direction of Disneyland across Katella but the walk is only like 2-5 mins. There is also a Starbucks (normal store, allows mobile order) in Downtown Disney.

I haven’t been myself (give me sugar filled espresso in the morning and I’m good to go lol) but there’s also LaBrea Express in DtD. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/downtown-disney-district/la-brea-bakery-express/

 

[aquamanalaska]

What are your recommendations for an early breakfast before entering the parks? I stay in the castel inn

Just stayed at Castle Inn in Dec 2018. I loved that place. We brought breakfast items to the room and ate there. Saved time and money.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

In DTD: La Brea Bakery Express (pastries, sandwiches, coffee, etc.), Jamba Juice (juices, smoothies, oatmeal, etc.), Starbucks (2 locations in DTD, both have Starbucks mobile order), Tortilla Jo's Taqueria (breakfast burritos), etc.
Agree that something easy like protein bars in the hotel room can save a lot of time. Then you can grab something more substantial in DTD or inside the parks.

 

[Joestoppable]

What are your recommendations for an early breakfast before entering the parks? I stay in the castel inn

I guess it depends on how early and if you have children with you and what not.

If I am trying to get breakfast very early so i can do rope drop, then I usually go to the Starbucks in DTD. They open at 5am. Its nice and cozy in there. Plus you've gone through security check already(so no need to worry about that later on), and starbucks actually has a fairly decent amount of choices as far as food goes. Plus of course you get your caffeine in for the morning. I see so many people right when the gates open instead of going to the ropes, they head over to starbucks. And those lines can get crazy in the morning, so you could always avoid that as well.

 

[tarheelalum]

Starbucks. Mobile order it and grab and go!

 

[tanyaewa]

Just get to the park ASAP and have breakfast at Red Rose Tavern behind Fantasyland.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/red-rose-taverne/menus/
Eat a granola bar on the way if you will pass out without eating
Don’t waste your time outside the parks imo

 

[NannyBeBe]

We often grab a muffin or other breakfast food from the bakery or Starbucks when we leave the parks for the day and have that for breakfast the next morning.

 

[cyctorres]

thank you all

 

[cyctorres]

Do any of the restaurants inside the parks open before the park, so that one can have breakfast?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Do any of the restaurants inside the parks open before the park, so that one can have breakfast?

Just Plaza Inn Character Breakfast if you have a reservation.

 

[avalon451]

One tip I really took to heart was from the authors of Touring Plans. They said, if you are a local and an AP holder, and go all the time, and you’re not worried about missing rides or how bad the crowds get- sure, go for breakfast in the park, relax, people watch, enjoy a leisurely breakfast. However, if this trip is a special once-a-year or big family vacation, where you have limited time and days... why in the world would you waste precious morning hours on a sit-down breakfast? Those hours at opening are gold. That’s when you ride all the things that will have 100 minute wait times later, stack fast passes for later use, etc. then when it starts getting hot and crowded, sit down for a late breakfast or early lunch. Make do with quick breakfast in your room or in line at the gates. This strategy has made the most sense for our family.

 

[CharleneTheDM]

One tip I really took to heart was from the authors of Touring Plans. They said, if you are a local and an AP holder, and go all the time, and you’re not worried about missing rides or how bad the crowds get- sure, go for breakfast in the park, relax, people watch, enjoy a leisurely breakfast. However, if this trip is a special once-a-year or big family vacation, where you have limited time and days... why in the world would you waste precious morning hours on a sit-down breakfast? Those hours at opening are gold. That’s when you ride all the things that will have 100 minute wait times later, stack fast passes for later use, etc. then when it starts getting hot and crowded, sit down for a late breakfast or early lunch. Make do with quick breakfast in your room or in line at the gates. This strategy has made the most sense for our family.

I totally agree!
I would bring a granola bar and coffee and munch it down during security and/or rope drop, then maybe get a churro when the carts open.
But, if you do want to enjoy a sit-down breakfast in the parks, I would recommend making a reservation at Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe for 10:30 to 11 ish, have a quick makeshift thing in the morning, then hit as many rides as you can before your breakfast reservation!

 

[dawnball]

I guess it depends on how early and if you have children with you and what not.

If I am trying to get breakfast very early so i can do rope drop, then I usually go to the Starbucks in DTD. They open at 5am.

Is security open (on the Harbor side) at 5am too? A quiet walk for early coffee sounds like a good plan.

 

[cmpeter]

We are big fans of rope dropping. We arrive 1 hour before park opening. They start to let folks in about 30 minutes before opening. While we are waiting for the 30 or so minutes outside the gates, one of us leaves and goes to La Brea Bakery or the DTD Starbucks and picks up breakfast sandwiches. We eat those in line while waiting for the parks to open and/or the ropes to drop. I hate wasting early morning park time to eat (like the poster above mentioned...that time is gold!)

 

[CateinPhoenix]

We are big fans of rope dropping. We arrive 1 hour before park opening. They start to let folks in about 30 minutes before opening. While we are waiting for the 30 or so minutes outside the gates, one of us leaves and goes to La Brea Bakery or the DTD Starbucks and picks up breakfast sandwiches. We eat those in line while waiting for the parks to open and/or the ropes to drop. I hate wasting early morning park time to eat (like the poster above mentioned...that time is gold!)

Same here!

 

[Joestoppable]

Is security open (on the Harbor side) at 5am too? A quiet walk for early coffee sounds like a good plan.

I'm not sure if they open that side up anymore. I remember a year or two ago we went through that side. But usually we always come in from the Downtown Disney parking lot side on Disneyland drive, or through the Disney hotel side.

Its nice in the mornings as well. The cleaning people are usually just finishing up, the air is crisp and fresh. Its also nice because of peaceful and calm it is.

it also gives you time to stretch your legs and warm them up for the upcoming 10+ hours of walking ahead.

 

[NorthernCalMom]

Another family here who has a quick “snack” breakfast on the run to the turnstiles. Besides not wasting any of that early “golden hour,” this also means that all of us start to get hungry for lunch early enough to avoid the worst CS lines.